Page 97 of Tabloid Princess

No. No. No. I couldn’t sit here and pretend to be normal for that long—or at all.

Oliver stepped close to my desk and pulled out the spare chair he’d sat on a couple of times, turning it for the centre of the room.

“I think right here would be perfect, Janine.”

I slunk down in my seat, my body aching at his closeness. The separation of mere inches ached like a knife wound.

“Assuming that’s okay with you, Miss Lawrence?” He turned to me.

The devilish burn in his gaze almost stopped my heart. “As you wish, Your Highness.”

He grinned widely. “Perfect.”

* * *

“That was utterly unfair.” I almost groaned against his mouth. I knew he’d come. I knew there’d be a discreet knock on the door. The fact I knew scared the life out of me.

I’d got Daisy to bed in double quick time and then had a shower and cleaned my teeth, trying to choose an outfit that wasn’t obvious but was a step up from the one I’d worn on his unplanned visit Friday.

His lips pressed against mine hard, his hands coming to my hair tangling in the strands. I breathed him in. No whisky tonight, but still that small tingle of mint. “I thought my time spent in the office was exceptionally well utilised,” he mumbled his words against my mouth.

I warmed and heated to excruciating levels. The monster who had sulked and growled at being caged all afternoon tore free with delight.

“It was horrible, and you know it.”

“Your time in my presence was horrible?” He grinned wickedly. “I’ve never been told that before.”

“As always, I’m pleased to deflate your princely ego.”

His lips crashed back down to mine and he uttered a low oath as he caught me in his hands, pinning me tight against him. My breasts strained for traction and I pushed myself back. One of his hands slipped down my spine and grazed over the curve of my butt, pulling me in tighter.

“I can’t stay for longer than a few minutes, Leia.” He broke the kiss and I couldn’t deny his admission broke me a little.

“Just a few minutes?” I breathed my words rather than said them. My heart bashed wildly in my chest—all from a kiss.

“I’m on a late Eurostar to Paris. But I couldn’t leave without seeing you.” His words made me slump. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his thumb skimming my cheek.

“I can’t say.” I flushed.

“Say.”

I found it almost impossible to say no. “This is wrong. I shouldn’t be feeling this way. I shouldn’t be disappointed because you have to go away. It’s illogical.”

“You feel like that?”

“Yes.” My admission returned instantly. I couldn’t resist anything he asked of me.

Utterly stupid. Utterly dangerous.

“Oliver, you can’t keep turning up here. Someone is going to see you and you and I both know the headlines won’t be good.”

“Leia.” He caught my face tighter, forcing me to look at him. “No headlines are ever good. I’ve been living with it for my whole life. Even as a child, at school. Every foot wrong that I could place, someone has been there waiting to capture it.”

“I don’t want to be a foot wrong for you.”

He brushed his lips over my mouth but then lifted them to my forehead, placing them there. The intensity of his hold became all encompassing. “You aren’t. I know it. I can feel it.”

“And when you get found out and there are people confirming the fact I already know? That I’m not the right woman for you?”